Kayaking Safety - The EssentialsWatch this short video to learn how youcan insure that your paddling experiencewill be relatively safe for all involved.Training Canoe Newbies Over the years, Cliff Jacobson has formed afew tests to get new canoeists ready to run whitewater rivers. Read all about them.

You could always get the boat made in the whitewater layup. I came very close to buying that boat a few years ago. I test paddled the Otegan and a strip built Blackwater that was used to make the mold. The Blackwater was quite stable and had good speed. The only reason I didn't buy it was that I was able to get a better deal on a Rapidfire which included a paddle. I still would like to get a Blackwater though. As for durability, I don't think you could go wrong with his lighter layup either. I looked at many of the boats John uses and stores at his shop. They all look to be up to the task of handling some abuse.

I would think IMHO a carbon outer with an extra layer of kevlar in the bottom of the standard layup would be a tougher boat than a ultralight layup Wenonah.